Syrian Minister of Agriculture: The current year is the driest since 1953

Arab Weather - Sinan Khalaf - The Minister of Agriculture in Syria, Hassan Qatana, revealed in a press statement that the rates of rain precipitation have decreased for this year compared to previous years, indicating that the precipitation in April and May is the main factor determining the availability of a good crop, especially of wheat and barley.

The precipitation was very small compared to the beginning of the year, as this led to a decrease in the quantities of water stored in the dams to a rate of 52%, the decrease of groundwater to critical limits, the exit of cultivated areas above and the failure to reach the stage of recovery and thus their loss.

Qatana explained that the percentage of land that came out of the total land cultivated with wheat is 700 thousand hectares out of 800 thousand, while the ministry's plan was to cultivate one million and 550 thousand hectares, indicating that the shortage will be compensated by import, and the imported quantity stored currently is sufficient for Syria's need. .

Based on these data, Minister Qatana said: “Syria is facing the most dangerous year in terms of low levels of rain precipitation, drought and climate change since 1953, because it came to all governorates while the country faced a similar drought in 1999, 2008 and 2018, but it affected limited governorates. Just".

Regarding the ministry’s procedures and facing this danger, Qatana stated that the ministry increased the irrigated area of surface water sources such as the Euphrates River, and drinking water would be the priority and secure for the population, while the ministry reviewed the productive plan for summer crops, amending it and reduced water-intensive agricultural crops such as cotton, with an area of 20 thousand hectares, i.e. by 30 percent. %, And stressed that the exported quantities of agricultural products will decrease, and the costs of producing foodstuffs will increase because there are greater costs for withdrawing groundwater.